


Lost and Found

by bklue18



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2016-08-31
Packaged: 2018-07-27 02:26:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7599874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bklue18/pseuds/bklue18
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Searching for information about her parents who disappeared 15 years ago, she hitches a ride on the USS Enterprise. As a brilliant hacker, she's able to solve many technical problems that come her way. But, will she be able to find the answers she's been seeking? Or will she give that all up to help someone else?</p><p>(Not Canon in most ways - sorry!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Stowaway

"Mister Sulu, how long till we reach the next new adventure on our itinerary?"

Sulu turned around. "We just warped into this system, Captain. It'll take us another 3 days at most."

"If I may..."

The Captain turned around to look at his second-in-command. "You do realize that even if I did stop you, you'd still continue."

Not amused, he merely continued, unfazed by the Captain's teasing. "Your endorphins are still riding on a high since the victory over Krall. It would make the perfect explanation for your enthusiasm for the task at hand."

"Yeah - no kidding, Spock."

Everyone turned to see the resident doctor, Leonard McCoy, standing by the door. He headed straight towards the Captain.

"James, we have a problem." He said.

The Captain stood up. "What kind of problem?"

"It's kind of hard to explain here." Leonard said. "I think it's best if I showed you."

James turned to Spock. "You have command."

Spock nodded once and took his place as James followed Leonard out.

* * *

"Any other details you can supply me with before I meet this problem?" James asked.

Leonard looked at him. "You can ask the problem yourself."

The doors of the turbolift opened and Leonard led the way to one of the detention cells where a girl sat waiting. Sensing she had company, she leapt up from her seat.

"Took you long enough!" She said. "Look, I'm not one of those criminals okay. You could have locked me up in one of your meeting rooms or something - not this cell."

"How did she get on board?" James asked Leonard.  
"She said she hacked the main frame of the Enterprise." Leonard replied.

He turned back to her. "You hacked into the Enterprise?"

"Well, yeah, it wasn't too difficult. He was using a similar code for the security system of the old Enterprise. A bit of improvisation here and there - I got in."

James turned to Leonard. "When did you find her?"

"When we dropped out of warp speed." Leonard said. "I found her tinkering on her laptop."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." She said. "Before either of you jump to any conclusions that I was sending some bug into your system - hear me out. I was doing the opposite. I was patching your system."

"Patching our system." Leonard said. "Good one."

"No, really!" She said. "I patched up the holes in the system that hadn't been updated since the last time the Enterprise got attacked. I just saved your butt from getting ambushed."

James took a good look at the girl standing before him. There was a familiarity to her that he couldn't quite place and judging from the way she was reacting, she couldn't have done the Enterprise any harm.

"What's your name?" He asked.

She straightened. "Riley Taneda."

"Okay Riley, how did you get pass all the security personnel at Starfleet control to get near the Enterprise?" James asked.

She pulled out a box from her jacket and opened it up. "I had these."

"Starfleet badges? Did you steal this?!" Leonard exclaimed. "Look here missy, I'll have you know that it is a punishable crime to steal Starfleet badges!"

"I didn't steal these!" Riley replied. "They were from my parents or rather the Federation gave them to me."

"You're an officer?" James asked.

"No. My parents were. They went missing with their ship 15 years ago." Riley said. "The USS Madison."

"Richard and Doris Taneda." Leonard said. "I've heard about them. Exemplary Starfleet officers."

"So this gives you a free pass to roam the Starfleet command centers as you like?" James asked.

"Yes and no." Riley said. "I've been traveling for a long time and I almost hitchhike undetected."

"Until now." Leonard said.

She took in a breath. "Look, all I wanted was a ride out to the next Federation planet."

"Why?" James asked.  
"Because my parents are still out there." She replied.

"They found USS Madison in an abandoned planet." Leonard said. "I'm sorry to say but I don't think they could have survived that crash."

"No, they could." Riley said. "I hacked into the Starfleet transcript archives and found a distress call made a year ago from that same planet."

The men looked at her, wondering how they should let her down easy.

"The ship was found but no one knew what happened to the crew! If you ask me, something happened there and my parents are still alive." Riley said.

Just then, a Starfleet officer came running up to them.

"Um, Captain, Doctor?" He said. "Sorry to interrupt but you've got a video call from Admiral Wong?"

Riley bit her bottom lip in anxiety as soon as she heard that name. James caught sight of her behavior and looked back at the officer.

"I'm on my way back."

James looked at Riley one more time before looking to Leonard. "Watch her."

* * *

James walked back onto Starship bridge just as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura vacated her seat for him. He looked at the screen before him to see a much older woman looking back at him.

"Captain Kirk."

"Admiral Wong, how can I help you?"

"I believe you found a stowaway in your ship today. Riley Taneda?"

"Yes ma'am. She hacked into the Enterprise's main frame and let herself in."

"As she has done to several other ships."

"Are we to bring her back to a Starfleet station for punishment?"

"No, no. I assure you Captain, she means no harm."

"With all due respect, Admiral, her story seems hard to believe. And her skills are-"

"Unique and extraordinary. With all due respect Captain, that's my grand-daughter you're talking about."

James' face fell in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, Admiral. I didn't mean to discredit her story about her parents in anyway."

"At ease, Captain. My grand-daughter is rather stubborn and can be quite a handful. But she can be an asset to your crew. I know it's a lot to ask, Captain Kirk.. But I'll need you to keep an eye on her while she's on board the Enterprise."

"Yes ma'am."

"Good. Thank you Captain Kirk."

"No problem. Um, sorry, ma'am? Just a quick question.. How did you know she got on board the Enterprise?"

"When you have a grand-daughter as determined as mine is, you'll tend to know her next move before she does it."

Admiral Wong gave him a kind smile before the video feed cuts off.

* * *

Riley looked at her surroundings, feeling a tad bit uneasy. 10 minutes after the Captain left, another Starfleet officer came down and told the slightly big-looking mean Doctor to let her out. The next thing she knew, she was put into this room with the bar - not that she was complaining. She could use a glass of water right about now.

She stood up and went behind the bar in search of water but every bottle that she had pulled out and sniffed, had alcohol in them.

"I see you've made yourself at home."

Riley hurriedly placed the bottle back where it came from. "I was just looking for some water."

James gave her a look and walked to a cabinet by the wall where he took out a bottle of water. He brought it to the bar counter and set it on the table.

"So, my grandma found me." Riley said.  
"Yes, she did." James replied.  
"What did she say?" Riley asked.  
"She asked that we keep an eye on you while you're on board the Enterprise." James said.

Riley nodded as she took a gulp of water from the bottle. As she was about to take another gulp, she felt James' eyes still on her.

She turned to him. "You wanna take a picture? It lasts longer."

"Sorry, you just remind me of someone from my childhood." James said.

Riley stood up straight. "Well, that's the first time someone used that line on me."

"We'll take you to the nearest Federation Planet and drop you off." James said. "Till then, you'll stay on lock down in my quarters."

She raised her eyebrows.

"I will be on the bridge for the remaining time till we get to the planet so don't worry." He said.

* * *

Riley held onto the strap of her backpack as she looked around James' quarters.

"It's surprisingly cleaner than I thought." She said.

He ignored her. "Get comfortable cause you're going to be here for a while until we can find a suitable arrangement for the rest of the journey."

She nodded and sat on the couch in his quarters.

He was just about to close the door when he stopped. "And please, no more hacking into the Enterprise."

Riley chuckled. "You got it, Captain."

As soon as James left, Riley left her backpack on the couch and started looking through his things. She was browsed through the books on his bookshelf and picked up a book that caught her eye. She was flipping through the pages when an envelope slipped out.

She put the book back on the shelf and bent to pick up the envelope. The front of the envelope had the words 'JAMES' on it. She felt the contents within the envelope and feeling the smooth surface of the item that clearly wasn't a letter, her curiousity peaked. Every fiber of her being was telling her not to do it but she knew she'd regret not finding out what was inside.

Riley slipped her index finger between the envelope flap and felt the paper tear. She reached into the envelope and found a compact disc that had no label on it.

Figuring she might be able to do something with it, she went back to the couch and pulled out her laptop.

She inserted the disc and a video started to play.


	2. The Consequences of Snooping Around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Searching for information about her parents who disappeared 15 years ago, she hitches a ride on the USS Enterprise. As a brilliant hacker, she's able to solve many technical problems that come her way. But, will she be able to find the answers she's been seeking? Or will she give that all up to help someone else?
> 
> (Not Canon in most ways - sorry!)

"...If we took the path bypassing this planet, we could reach in a shorter amount of time."

James thought about it. "But it's not really a chartered path, is it?"

Spock was just about to reply with his calculations when he got interrupted.

"Whoa! So this is the command station of the Enterprise."

Everyone stopped what they were doing to see Riley standing by the doors of the bridge.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" James said. "Didn't I tell you that you are on lockdown in my quarters?"

She looked at him. "Well, yeah. But I've got something important that couldn't wait."

Riley walked over to him, thrusting the disc she had found in his face. "You need to see this."

James took the disc from her and looked up at her. "Is this another one of your hacking tricks?"

"No." Riley said. "It fell out from one of your books. It was actually in an envelope with your name on it and I was curious so I opened it."

He examined the disc in his hands. "Which book did you find this in?"

"The English Spy?" Riley said. "The one by Daniel Silva?"

Not waiting for James to react, she continued. "Anyway, there's something important on it from your mother that you should see."

He turned to look at her. "My mother?"

"Yeah-I just sa-"

James frowned. "You had no right to go through my things! Especially when it clearly doesn't concern you!"

Although taken aback by his sudden increase in volume, Riley didn't like being shouted at when she had done something right.

"Hey! I know it wasn't right to open the envelope but once you see what I've discovered in that disc, you'll thank me for being nosey!" She said.

James clenched his jaw. "Your grandmother was right. You're a handful. In fact, more than a handful. That's the reason why your parents took to the stars instead, isn't it?"

"Captain, I don't think that was appropriate."

He turned to his Lieutenant. "I am just stating my guesses, Lieutenant Uhura."

Just as he turned back to face Riley, his face collided with Riley's fist that swung at the exact same time. Everyone gasped in surprise.

"Ow-What the-"

Riley glared at James. "Don't you talk about my parents."

"Perhaps I should escort our guest back to your quarters." Spock said.

She looked at him. "Perhaps you shouldn't, Vulcan. I know how to get back to the detention cells on my own."

Not waiting for anyone else to interject, she turned and left the Bridge.

* * *

"Ack-Easy, Bones."

Leonard rolled his eyes as he pressed the ice pack to James' face. His cheek had been bruised from the impact of Riley's fist. Though she hadn't looked too menacing, the girl could pack a mean punch.

"This will teach you a lesson." Leonard said. "You don't bring up someone's tragedy just to make a point, Kirk."

James continued to apply pressure on the ice pack. "I know, I know. I crossed the line. But she started it. She shouldn't have gone round snooping."

Leonard looked at him. "Well, it's your fault for leaving her in your quarters. You asked for it."

James gave Leonard a look before looking back at the disc that was sitting on his table. Leonard turned to look and picked up the compact disc.

"She may be a nosey lil' lady but at least she found something that you'd never would have discovered." Leonard said.  
"Well-I read my books." James said.

Leonard scoffed. "Yeah-Only when if you've mastered the art of sleeping while reading."

"What do you think the message from my mother was?" James asked.

"I don't know. It could be a number of things." Leonard replied. "Why don't you just watch it?"

James looked at the disc and gripped it as he made up his mind.

* * *

"Do I-Oh, okay."

Winona Kirk looked into the camera and smiled.

"Hi James. I don't know if you'll ever find this or if you'll ever have time to watch this but know that I'm thinking of you while you're traversing the universe."

"I managed to get some kids to help me with this since you know how I don't really get technology. They'll help me piece my message together together with a video call I found that belonged to your father."

"I was looking through all the video calls from your father that the Federation gave me when I came across the second last transmission he sent before his ship got destroyed."

Winona paused for a bit, tearing up before she continued.

"And-And it may be my wishful thinking but James, you must not think I'm crazy."

She took a deep breath.

"I-I think your father might still be alive."

She wiped away a stray tear and cleared her throat.

"You'll see what I mean when you watch the video message your father left. I think there might be some hidden code within the video but no one's been able to help me. They all think I'm crazy, including your stepfather."

Winona sighed.

"I know that there's a chance this disc doesn't even get to you. But if it does.. James, you're the only one who can figure out if my hunch is true."

She let out a breath and kissed her fingers before placing them onto the screen.

"I love you James. Find him if you can."

* * *

"What are you doing?" Leonard asked. "Don't you want to see what your mother's talking about?"

James looked at the screen before him, unable to bring himself to un-pause the video.

Spock placed his hand on James' shoulder. "There is a 10% chance that what comes next may corroborate with what your mother's talking about."

"But that leaves a 90% chance that she's hoping for something that just can't happen." James said.

Leonard sighed. "Look Kirk. I'm going to put it to you straight. It sucks having to have your hopes high especially when there might be a possibility of reuniting with someone you've longed to meet since you were born, and have it completely ripped from your heart when you find out it could never happen."

"But this?" Leonard points at the screen. "This is something that you have to find out. Maybe not for your mother but for yourself. You owe it to yourself to see if you can make it happen.. Even if it feels like an infinity to one."

"It's not logically pos-"

"Can it, Spock." Leonard said. "I'm trying to make a point. Nobody gives a crap about the accuracy of my analogy."

Even if Spock was annoyed with Leonard's reply, he didn't move to start an argument.

Leonard looked back at James. "So? What's it going to be?"

* * *

"Hey."

Riley looked up from the book she had been reading and pulled out the earbuds in her ears.

"Hi."

Lieutenant Uhura gave her a small smile. "I'm Lieutenant Ny-"

"Nyota Uhura." Riley said. "I know who you are."

"Do you mind if I accompanied you?" Nyota asked.

"No, not at all." Riley said. "It's not like I'm going anywhere either, right?"

Nyota tried the door of the cell and it opened when she pulled.

Riley looked at her. "I won't give your Captain the satisfaction of a polite stowaway who locks herself up."

Nyota smiled at Riley's response before taking a seat next to her.

"I would like to extend my apology for what the Captain said on the Bridge earlier." Nyota said. "It was completely uncalled for and he shouldn't have done that."

Riley looked at her. "Did he put you up to this? If so, tell him to do it himself."

Nyota shook her head. "No... I came down here on my own."

"In that case, you have nothing to apologize for." Riley said. "You're not the one that made this a personal attack."

She sighed. "Besides, I was part of the problem. I shouldn't have snooped around his quarters."

"Be that as it may, it wasn't right of the Captain to include your parents." Nyota said.

Riley shrugged. "Well, what's done is done. At least I don't have to see his stupid face until we reach the next Federation Planet."

"I think you might have to."

Riley looked at Nyota who stood up before turning to see James walking towards them with Spock and Leonard by his side.

"Great." Riley said, standing up. "Here to toss out more insults from your juvenile book of burns?"

Leonard sniggered and James turned to give him an annoyed look. "Really?"

Leonard shrugged just as James turned back to face Nyota and Riley.

"I've seen what's on the disc..." James said. "And I need your help."

"Sorry, no can do." Riley said. "I'm an illegal passenger on-board the Enterprise who's parents left for the stars because I'm such a nosey parker. I'm probably not the person you're looking for."

James was clearly getting irritated but since he needed Riley's help, he couldn't show it.

He looked at Nyota, who mouthed 'Apologize' before gesturing to Riley with a tilt of her head.

James nodded and cleared his throat. "Look... About what I said on the Bridge.. I didn't mean it. I was way out of line and I deserved the sucker punch you gave me."

He looked at her. "I think we can call it even, right?"

Riley crossed her arms in front of her chest and moved towards the bench she was sitting on. She bent a little and started packing up her stuff.

She slung her backpack onto her shoulder and looked at James. "Where's the disc?"


End file.
